Saving Love
by kenpogirl
Summary: Reese finally gets a chance to vent and stand up for herself.


**Disclaimer : **The show and its characters do not belong to me. They are the property of ABC. I'm just having fun with them.

**Background : **This story is set after Reese's accident and recovery. It is an alternate ending to the actual ending on the show (i.e. Bianca returns to Pine Valley on her own because she misses Reese, not because Zach called her).

**Author's Note : **This one's for all of you who feel like I do, that, although Reese did make a mistake (which she never denied, incidentally), the level of absolute cruelty that she was subjected to by… uh, well, EVERYBODY was completely out of proportion for her one error in judgment. I felt Reese should have her payback, so Tamara, this one's for you!!

**SAVING LOVE**

It is 2 a.m. and Reese is lying on the couch, in the dark, in the living room of her newly acquired home, sobbing, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, a very attractive, blonde, blue-eyed woman, roughly Reese's age, emerges from the bedroom wearing a simple jogging suit, and approaches Reese with a sympathetic expression.

BLONDE WOMAN (gently, sympathetically) : "Aw, sweetie, are you ok?"

REESE (head whirling towards the woman, wiping her tears, apologetically) : "Did I wake you? I'm so sorry."

BLONDE WOMAN (smoothing Reese's hair affectionately, still standing) : "No, you didn't wake me, but you _should _have. That's what I'm here for, right?"

REESE (taking the woman's hand, continuing to wipe her tears) : "Have I told you how much I appreciate you being here and not leaving me alone right now?"

BLONDE WOMAN (smiling, touching Reese's face) : "Yes, you have, but you don't have to thank me. You know that. I'd do anything for you. I love you."

Reese begins to sob again. The blonde woman sits down beside Reese and takes the tearful woman in her arms. Reese drops her head on the blonde's shoulder as sobs rack her body. Suddenly there is a knock at the door. The two women look at each other incredulously. At that moment, all the months of stress suddenly come to a head within the petite brown-eyed woman. She feels her temper rise as she angrily wipes her tears, gets to her feet, and stomps to the door.

REESE : "Who _the hell…???_"

She jerks the door open, but stops dead in her tracks, in shock, when she sees the lone figure standing on her doorstep.

BIANCA(cautiously, hesitantly)** : **"H-hey."

REESE (incredulously, taken aback, angry) : "Hey? That's all you have to say to me is "Hey"? You disappear for four whole, entire weeks, one solid month of not calling me, ignoring my phone calls and messages, and not only that, but also getting your entire family to ignore my phone calls and messages so that I couldn't even find out if you and the girls, _my_ _daughters,_ had landed safely in Paris and now you just suddenly show up on my doorstep unannounced, uninvited at 2 o'clock in the morning and it's just… Hey? Are you _kidding_ me?"

BLONDE WOMAN (from across the room, brow furrowed, confused) : "Uuuuuhhh, Reese? What are you doing?"

Bianca finally takes note of the other occupant of the house. Her jaw drops.

BIANCA (angry and teary) : "Who is she?"

REESE (speaking to the other woman without taking her eyes off of Bianca, glaring) : "It's ok, Sam. I got this."

BIANCA (insistently, upset) : "Reese, who is that woman? Are you seeing someone else?"

REESE (incredulously) : "_Excuse me_? I don't owe you _any_ explanations about who I have in my home."

BIANCA (angry and tearful, voice cracking) : "_Oh, yes, you do_!"

REESE (incredulously) : "Lady, who the hell do you think you are?"

BIANCA (screaming at the top of her lungs) : "I AM YOUR WIFE!"

REESE (leaning in to Bianca, angrily retaliating, voice full of venom) : "_That's not what the annulment papers say_."

Sam comes up to the two former spouses.

SAM (to Bianca) : "Excuse us for just one second." (pulling Reese aside out of earshot of Bianca) "Reese! What the hell are you doing, man? You've been absolutely sick about the break up and now you have a chance to fix it. She wants to talk. Stop shutting her out." (emphasizing each word) "_Go talk to her_."

Reese ventures a furtive glance at the now-very-angry-looking brunette standing just inside her door, who is using every last ounce of self-restraint to not intrude on the other two women's private conversation. Reese takes a deep breath and finally responds.

REESE (calmly) : "I know you're just trying to help, Sam, but you have to let me handle this, ok?"

Reese heads back to Bianca, leaving Sam shaking her head in disbelief as she takes a seat on the couch and slips on her sneakers.

REESE (resigned) : "Ok, Bianca, it's late, I'm exhausted, and I'm waaaaaay past giving a damn anymore, so if you'll excuse me..."

Reese starts to close the door, but Bianca steps forward and blocks it.

BIANCA : "No! We need to talk."

REESE (screaming furiously) : "THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO TALK ABOUT _NOW_, BIANCA! I _begged _you to talk to me _a month ago_ when we still had a shot at salvaging something of our marriage, our family, but nooooo, _you _gave up on us and you shut me out. Do you have _any_ idea what kind of hell you put me through not even letting me know how you and the girls were?" (breathing heavily, staring furiously at Bianca) "And _now_ you have the audacity to tell me you want to talk? _Now_ you want to come in here making all kinds of demands and claims on me? _**Newsflash**_, Bianca, _you no longer have that right. You no longer have ANY rights here._ _Am I making myself perfectly clear_?"

The tension hangs thickly in the air as, for a moment, no one speaks and silence fills the room.

BIANCA (crestfallen, starting to tear up, looking at Reese pleadingly, voice trailing off) : "Reese…"

SAM (approaching the former couple once again with determination) : "Ok. That's enough." (turning to Reese, frustrated) "Reese, either you tell her who I am, or I will."

REESE (in a low, angry growl, warningly) : "Sam…"

SAM (ignoring Reese, addressing Bianca) : "I'm her cousin, Bianca, ok? I'm her cousin."

Reese closes her eyes, shakes her head, and bites her bottom lip in frustration.

REESE (incredulously, angrily through clenched teeth) : "Sam…"

SAM (a half-smile on her lips, quickly kissing Reese's cheek) : "You'll thank me later, cuz."

Sam gently caresses Reese's cheek before grabbing her coat and purse and heading out the door.

REESE (to Sam, incredulously) : "It's 2 o'clock in the morning! _Where are you going_?"

Sam slows down only long enough to offer her cousin a knowing smile before hopping into her car and driving away. Reese throws her arms up in disbelief, rolls her eyes, and sighs in frustration.

BIANCA (softly, a tiny grin pulling at the corners of her mouth as her heart leaps with renewed hope) : "Sh-she's your cousin?"

REESE (turning quickly to Bianca, irritated) : "It doesn't matter who she is, Bianca. That is of absolutely no consequence here. Do you get that?"

BIANCA (grin fading, voice hesitant, cautious) : "Reese, I was hoping we could work things out…"

REESE : "Oh, you were hoping we could work things out? Because it suits you now? And I'm supposed to do what? Fall at your feet in gratitude because you've finally condescended to acknowledge my existence?" (angrily) "You went to Paris with the girls and you left me here _by myself_ knowing full well that my parents disowned me and I had no other friends or family here in Pine Valley, _knowing_ I didn't have another soul on God's green earth I could turn to after you were gone. How do you think that made me feel? When you and I first started having these issues I had a sense, even then, that you'd never be able to trust me completely. And because of that, I tried to leave, but you know what? _I_ couldn't do it. I had my bags packed, my flight booked, and I was four feet from the door and I _couldn't_ do it. I couldn't get myself to leave because the thought of not having you within arm's reach _killed_ me. I thought about not being able to see you, hear your voice, or touch you, and _I couldn't breathe_, Bianca. That's how much I needed you. But you… you went all the way to Paris at the drop of a hat without a moment's hesitation, without ever looking back. _Doesn't that tell you something_?"

BIANCA (eyes brimming with tears, shaking her head) : "No, Reese, that's not…"

REESE (still angry, not letting Bianca speak) : "I had a _horrific_ accident that took my sight and you _still_ didn't come back." (bitterly) "I didn't even want anyone to tell you because I didn't want your pity. All I've ever wanted was your love, but when Kendall told you what happened to me, you couldn't even be bothered to pick up the phone to ask me how I was. If your _dog_ had gotten _ringworm_ you would have tripped over yourself rushing back here to be with it, but for me?" (shaking her head sadly) "Nothing. You wrote a letter. _**A letter**__. _**I was**_**BLIND**_, Bianca, and you're bright idea was to write me a letter that I couldn't even read for myself? What was your other bright idea? A text? An e-mail perhaps?" (disgusted) "You shouldn't have even bothered. It was _pointless_." (anger slowly fading as she begins to cry) "Except that it did make one thing crystal clear to me, _painfully _clear." (eyes tearing, voice cracking) "You don't love me, Bianca. You don't. Face it. It's the truth." (putting up her hands defensively as Bianca begins to protest) "We need to make peace with that and let it go now for both our sakes."

BIANCA (sobbing uncontrollably) : "No!!"

Bianca jumps to Reese and takes the other woman's face in her hands, searching her love's eyes frantically.

BIANCA (hysterically) : "No, Reese! You can't believe that!"

Reese turns her head, avoiding eye contact, and makes a weak attempt to get out of Bianca's hold, but she hasn't much strength left. Bianca tightens her grip on her ex-wife.

BIANCA (desperately) : "Baby, look at me." (searching the other woman's face) "When I found out that you kissed Zach, I was angry and hurt and confused, and because of that, the way I acted was petty and small and even cruel. I admit that and I make no excuses, ok? I was out to punish you instead of trying to sort everything out, and that's indefensible. But you _have_ to know that not for one second did I _ever_ stop loving you." (sobbing) "I wish I could take it all back and do everything differently, but I can't. All I can do now is tell you that I _do_ love you and beg you to not shut me out because…" (sobbing) "I can't live without you, Reese. I've been trying so hard all this time to hold it together, but I can't. Not without you. Every time Miranda would ask me when you were coming to live with us, it destroyed me. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't stop crying, I couldn't even think clearly. I need you, baby. I know I don't deserve a second chance, but…" (sobbing) "I'll die without you."

Bianca bows her head, body racked with sobs, and leans forward toward Reese, resting her head against Reese's shoulder. Reese becomes overwhelmed. She drops her head. As her eyes fill with tears, she closes them and the tears spill over her cheeks. The petite brown-eyed woman is at a crossroads with her pride demanding that she stand firm and keep her distance, while her heart urges her to give in to Bianca's pleas. Her face contorts in pain as she battles with herself for several seconds before her hands creep up, seemingly of their own volition, and come to rest gently on Bianca's hips. Upon feeling the contact, Bianca also feels Reese's emotional barriers start to crumble. She ventures to wrap her arms around Reese's waist. Reese exhales sharply at the contact and is unable to stop herself from slipping her arms all the way around Bianca and holding her tighter. Raising her head slightly to tuck her face into the crook of Reese's neck, Bianca sighs with relief.

BIANCA (whispering, teary) : "I've missed you so much, sweetheart."

REESE (sobbing, giving in) : "Please don't leave me, Bianca. I love you _so_ much and it hurt so bad to be without you… I… I couldn't handle it if you left me again."

BIANCA : "Never again, sweetheart. I swear, ok?" (sweeping her arms upwards to encircle Reese's neck and threading her fingers through the hair at the back of Reese's head, guiltily) "Shhhhh, baby. Please don't cry." (pulling back slightly, taking Reese's face in her hands once again, staring intently into the other woman's eyes) "I'm not going anywhere anymore. Ever."

Bianca claims Reese's lip out of her own want and need as much as to reassure the other woman. And with that, both women are able to breathe again for the first time in weeks.

**The End**

**P.S. **Reviews are greatly appreciated. 


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